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Hello again! Here we are, celebrating authors who submit 8-10 lines for others to peruse, comment and begin salivating for publication of the ones they love. Crossing fingers I fall into the latter category.

I've been posting my completed WIP <-- did you catch that? Completed. I typed 'The End' just this past week. Sooooo excited. Anyway, I digress. This snippet is from CAROLINE: Pride and Prejudice continued...

This has been condensed from original canon in order to comply with that pesky 8-10 sentence rule.

From an archway, Nathan
surveyed the ballroom, searching for Miss Bingley. The room slowly
filled with guests and soon the cacophony of voices rose in tandem with the heat
of many bodies. He
glanced back toward the main entrance and there she stood, her gown, overlaid by
a thin gossamer sheath dotted with diamonds, shimmered with her every movement
beneath the glow of the chandeliers. Aphrodite deigned to come down amongst
mankind. Her hair had been skillfully woven with tiny crystals and one lock
curled around her neck to caress her shoulder. Desire to follow the length of
that lock with his lips hit him with swift precision.

He noticed her glance about
the room and hesitate and was struck with clarity of thought that she had
nowhere to go. Her brother, surrounded by his fiancé, her family and Darcy’s
family, had his back to her, completely unaware of her entrance. The
sister, Mrs. Hurst stood beside her husband deep in conversation with one of
the other guests, and given the fact she’d basically thrown Miss Bingley from
her home, he doubted she would be inclined to approach them.

He wasted no time and cleaved his way through
the crowd.Thank you for visiting. Don't forget to check out other talented writers here, AND, sign up for my newsletter (top right). Stay abreast of new releases and giveaways. NO SPAM EVER - pinkie swear.

It's that time again where writers share 8-10 sentences from their writing. I'm continuing on with my story of Caroline. I love writing the thrust and parry between hero and heroine, where they're not ready to admit their attraction to the other party.

Georgiana’s soft
laugh brought Caroline's attention back to her and Lord Nathan. She longed to have the same undivided attention. Evidently sensing her study of him, he
shifted his gaze toward her. She couldn’t look away, although her mind and
senses urged her to. As if her thoughts were on display, like words on
parchment, his mouth quirked at one corner and he inclined his head.

Her face flamed
and prickles of heat threatened to turn her cheeks an unbecoming pink. As a
precautionary measure, she snapped open her fan. The gold pomander on her wrist
swayed with each flick of her wrist, setting off a pleasant aroma of her
favorite rose water. She allowed the familiar scent to soothe her. It wouldn’t
do for Lord Nathan to know he discomposed her.

“Where I go and what I do is none of your business.
You are neither my husband, nor brother. You most definitely are not my keeper.”

He pressed closer, and her breath almost stuttered to
a complete stop. Idly, he lifted his hand and curled the hair that spilled over
her shoulder around his finger.

“Maybe someone should be appointed as your keeper. You
could use some direction in life.”

“And you have a wealth of experience in advising
decent young woman?”

He lifted his hand, and cupped her chin with long,
lean fingers. Slowly his thumb swept across her mouth. Unbidden warmth spread
beneath her skin as she recalled the last time they’d crossed respectable
boundaries. She turned her head, her eyelids fluttering down.

That one movement was her undoing. With eyes tightly
closed, her other senses took over. His utterly male fragrance danced beneath
her nose. Crisp and clean with a hint of shaving cream and sandalwood. No man
had ever stood so close, creating a shocking intimacy and her heart thrummed in
anticipation of his next advance.

“I have a wealth of experience in ways you couldn’t
begin to fathom. I was a Rake, Miss Bingley, a man who thought nothing of
seducing little girls like you.” The heat of his breath brushed the shell of
her ear and his fingers continued to toy with her lock of hair. “I would sweep
them into my arms and kiss them until they could think of nothing but me.”

Without thought she turned her head back toward him and
their lips inadvertently touched for one searing second. He recoiled as though
burned and stepped back to a respectable distance. Instantly she missed the
heat of his body and fought a strange desire to boldly follow his retreat, to press
her body against his.

As though reading her thoughts, his countenance
darkened, his grey eyes turning the color of frosty steel.

“Take care who you try to entice with your beauty and
wealth. The next man to find you alone in a hallway may take more from you than
one kiss.”

I enjoyed this book very much. From reading the previous books in the Hawthorne House series, I was familiar with the character Trent. We knew his as a fun loving, have no care young man and it continued in this story as well.
At first, I became frustrated with Trent, with how he basically ran away from his duties as husband. If I were his mother, I'd have boxed his ears. As it was, this allowed the reader to see how the bonds of family and friendship guided this young man to accepting that this unexpected marriage was truly God's will. When he finally came to that acceptance, he realized Adelaide truly was his life's partner.
Well done.